


Dark Dragonfly

by flutterpen, thedragonfly



Series: Dragonfly [3]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-25
Updated: 2015-04-25
Packaged: 2018-03-25 16:04:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3816496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flutterpen/pseuds/flutterpen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedragonfly/pseuds/thedragonfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Mostly within the Prime universe, with additional characters from G1 updated and in this AU. Weird mash of characters necessary to the story. :) )</p><p>My own OC, Dragonfly, gets infected with dark energon and taken aboard the Decepticon ship. Her memories are altered. Will Optimus get her back? Will it be too late?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> _Text in italics is for a bond between mates_  
>  _Text in underlined italics is for spark twins communicating._  
>  Text between :: indicates comm channel communications.
> 
> [Dragonfly's physical appearance](http://naisenu.deviantart.com/art/Dragonfly-OC-460867774) and her [origin story](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2024313/chapters/4390620). Physically, she is just smaller than TF:P's Ratchet.
> 
> The Wheeljack in this work is more akin to G1 Wheeljack in personality - and here he is a spark twin to Ratchet.

The Decepticons had opened a ground bridge to a human refinery. “You know what you have to do?” Megatron told the two Vehicons.

“Yes, Lord Megatron,” they said as the others exited the ground bridge. 

“Very well,” Megatron said looking at Starscream. “Decepticons, attack.”

Red Alert was at the security and monitoring stations as word was patched through about a Decepticon attack that was in progress. He quickly opened a comm to both Ironhide and Prowl, giving them the details he had.

Prowl reported it to Optimus. ::Then we’ll have to take a ground bridge there,:: Optimus said. Prowl let him know that Ironhide was ready. ::Call the Twins, Bumblebee, Silverstreak and Jazz too.:: He said looking at Dragonfly. Prowl put out the general alert.

Dragonfly got to her feet watching Optimus and then the general alert confirming what she thought was happening. "So where are we going? How many?"

“An oil refinery,” Optimus said. “A moderate amount of Decepticons, along with Megatron and Starscream.” And headed for the door and the battle. Dragonfly followed Optimus, as they made their way to the the ground bridge room.

“Open the ground bridge to the coordinates, Prowl,” Optimus said and the swirling green vortex appeared. He turned to look at the assembled Autobots. “Autobots, move out.” And went in coming out assessed what was going on and approached Megatron. 

The other seven Autobots followed their leader through the ground bridge, ready with their weapons for battle as they emerged on the other side.

As usual the Autobots split into groups to take on the Decepticons. The Twins working together, Ironhide and Jazz working side-by-side, and the three scouts taking on Vehicons.

“Ah, about time Prime,” Megatron said smiling and charging at Optimus. The two wrestled as the two Vehicons attacked Dragonfly, one from in front of her and the other behind.

Dragonfly noticed the two Vehicons teaming up on her, and switched herself to her blades, attacking the one in front of her first. The one in front distracted her while the other fulfilled Megatron’s orders. Protecting himself with his arms and then slashing back at her.

The one behind her ran and jumped on her back piercing her with the dark energon crystal. Dragonfly felt the shard piercing her armor, striking an energon line. She fought back instinctively, cracking her helm into the Vehicon on her back, and trying to throw it off of her.

The second vehicon held on the best he could but soon fell off while the other jumped back on her pushing the crystal in farther.

Dragonfly threw herself onto her back, if this slaggin Vehicon wouldn't jump off, at least she could crush it behind her.

The second vehicon was crushed but the crystal had been also pushed in farther with her throwing herself onto her back. 

“Do something to offline her,” the crushed one said before going offline himself. 

Dragonfly got back to her feet, she ran an internal scan of her systems trying to figure out what had pierced her armor as she reached around to feel for it. The other Vehicon fired his weapon at her.

“Dragonfly,” Optimus said turning his head as he sensed her running scans. _::What is it?::_

Dragonfly turned to look at Optimus from across the battlefield for a klik before offlining from the Vehicon's well-placed shot, her normally blue optics, now turned purple from the dark energon shot the Vehicons managed to pierce her with.

‘Perfect,’ Megatron thought grinning. ‘Time for our exit.’ “Open the ground bridge,” he ordered. “Starscream.”

The Seeker ran over and picked up the unconscious Dragonfly. “Welcome back again,” he said grinning.

“Decepticons, retreat.” Megatron ordered as their ground bridge opened. Starscream and Megatron entered first with their prize as Megatron fired at Optimus who was chasing after them again.

The remainder of the Vehicons intercepted Optimus from getting his Dragonfly back. He quickly scanned her systems through the bond before the ground bridge closed. He shook his helm and his spark dropped in his chest as he realized what had happened.

“They were after her again,” Jazz said, thinking aloud. 

“Dark energon,” Optimus said. “They stabbed her with a crystal.”

“We’ll get back to the base and Ratchet will figure something out, Optimus,” Ironhide said. “We’ll get her back again.”

::Jazz to base, open a ground bridge and have Ratchet and Prowl meet us there.::

The green swirl of the ground bridge opened up near the same place that it dropped them off.

The Twins, Bumblebee and Silverstreak gathered by the ground bridge and looked about, "Where's Dragonfly?" Sideswipe asked, noticing her absence now for the first time.

::They took her,:: Jazz said. ::That’s all I’m saying Sideswipe.:: He looked at the twin to let him know not to say anything more about it.

Sideswipe looked at Sunstreaker, _::Slagging Cons took Prime's mate again,::_ he used his twinbond.

"Again?" Sunstreaker said aloud, looking at Sideswipe.

“Sideswipe!” Jazz shouted. “Sunstreaker, say nothing about it. Use your processors before you open your mouths.”

Bumblebee and Silverstreak exchanged confused glances, but they were just as interested in knowing too.

::You deal with them,:: Ironhide said to Jazz over a private comm. ::I’ll take care of Orion.::

“Alright, it was a trap to get us out here so they could take Dragonfly again,” Jazz sighed. “Now let’s get back to the base.” he shooed them through the ground bridge.

The four Autobots went through the ground bridge, talking amongst themselves. And Jazz sent them back to their regular duties with a stern warning that they were not to speak of this to anyone and he would have anyone who did speak of it thrown in the brig.

“Come on Optimus,” Ironhide said to his friend. “There’s not anything for us to do here. We need to talk to Hatchet and Prowl.” He walked Optimus through the ground bridge.

In the ground bridge room now were only Optimus, Prowl, Jazz, and Ratchet, and Ironhide.

Ratchet and Prowl were waiting at the ground bridge when they got back. ::Is what they’re saying true?:: Prowl asked Jazz. ::They took Dragonfly, again.:: Jazz nodded his head. 

::I told them not to talk,:: Jazz said. ::Whoever it was put them in the brig. I don’t want them thinking just because we’re in shock I’m going to be easy on them.::

“They put a dark energon crystal in her,” Optimus said quietly. Ratchet blinked.

“By the All Spark,” Ratchet said. Then he thought of his spark twin Wheeljack. What was he going to think, when he heard this news.

_::Ratchet, what’s the matter?::_ Wheeljack asked over their bond. _::And where is Dragonfly? I can’t sense her.::_ Ratchet explained, while his twin sat back down in his lab, hearing the news.

“Come on Optimus,” Ironhide encouraged. “Let’s go beat up some drones. You’ll feel better for it. I know it makes me feel better when I’m in a bad mood.”

Optimus looked at Ratchet, Jazz, Prowl, and finally Ironhide. He was yet to take down his battlemask as it allowed him to conceal his emotions somewhat. His frame was shaking at the moment in barely restrained anger, this was the second time that his mate had been taken by the Decepticons and once again he was powerless for now to get her back.

“Then let’s go Ironhide,” he growled shaking his friend’s hand off and stomped off for the practice yard.

Ironhide looked at Ratchet and shrugged. Then followed his friend, running to keep pace with his friend. “Come on talk to me, Optimus,” Ironhide said, now he was remembering why he didn’t come near his friend in one of his dark moods. “I would worry about Chromia too if I knew they had her.”

“It was a trap set deliberately to catch Dragonfly, Ironhide,” Optimus said.

“Yes, but what old bucket head want with her?” Ironhide said thinking aloud. “What are you thinking, Optimus? What are ya feeling? Talk to me.”

"I do not know, Ironhide," Optimus said slowly. "Before they took her through the ground bridge, I was able to scan her systems over our bond. I saw the dark energon crystal and she was offline."

“Hmm, so she’s not going to be herself,” Ironhide said. “Well why take her after they did that? Just leave her to attack us.” He clamped a hand over his mouth. ::Sorry, about that Orion.:: he said privately over the comm. He didn’t want to worry his friend too much.

Optimus growled. “Even seven of us against her, empowered by the dark energon, we could still overpower her. Ratchet could repair her. I fear that Megatron has a darker plan for her. It is my fault she was captured, again." He turned to look at Ironhide.

“Nah, that is not yer fault,” Ironhide said. “She has been training hard after the first time they captured her. And she wouldn’t want you blaming yourself for what happened. Do you think she’d want you to keep her from the battle? No, she’d be going crazy here. So do not blame yerself for what happened.” They arrived at the practice range. 

“I’ll set up the drone for you and you can beat it into scrap,” Ironhide said, setting up two. He felt like beating a drone up himself.

Optimus waited until Ironhide had moved out of the way, then he charged at the drone, ducking the blaster shots from the drone with ease of practice. He tackled the drone to the ground with a satisfying thud and started to punch it.

Ironhide had only started on his drone when he heard his friend pounding at the drone. ‘Not a scratch on him,’ he thought. ‘Shouldn’t pester him so much about being out of practice.’ And got back to his drone, kicking and punching it out.

Optimus quickly disarmed the drone of its weaponry, and continued his savage beating of the drone.

Ironhide kept listening to Optimus but kept his optics on the drone to avoid it getting any hits in on him. He jumped on it, hitting the off button, then sat on the inactive drone to watch his friend.

With his anger mostly spent on the defeated drone beneath him, Optimus blinked his optics, looking at the damaged drone. He pushed himself up to his feet, and he looked over at Ironhide, he allowed his mask to retract finally as he vented a sigh.

“Feeling better?” Ironhide asked looking at his friend.

“A little, my friend,” Optimus replied. “Thank you.”

“That’s a good start,” Ironhide said getting up, walking over to his friend and patting him on the back. “We will get her back and Ratchet will fix her. Ole’ bucket head is easy to defeat.”


	2. Chapter 2

Starscream checked the connections before he started searching through Dragonfly’s memories. Then he came upon the memory of himself and Megatron in her chest cavity. “Change the faces and voices,” he told himself. “Optimus as Megatron, and Ratchet as myself. It would be easier and faster to do this just by erasing the memory.” He looked up from the console and saw the ever present reminder of how trusted he was, Soundwave. He called up the files they had made previously and switched them.

He waited for the computer to inform him that the operation was complete. “She is ready,” he said. “Knock Out, your patient is ready.”

Knock Out walked over to Dragonfly and swapped her Autobot insignia for Decepticon ones. He repaired the energon lines that had been punctured by the Vehicons, then repaired her armor. 

“Wake her,” Starscream said.

“I was told to wait for Lord Megatron before doing that, Starscream,” Knock Out replied.

“And I said wake her,” Starscream shouted. “I am the second in command and Megatron isn’t here.”

Knock Out shook his helm, “Then wake her yourself,” he said.

Dragonfly came online while Starscream and Knock Out were arguing. She didn't open her optics at first as she ran a full system scan of herself and her environment. The last thing she noticed was her processor ache as she sat up, opening her optics. "Will you two shut the slag up?" she barked "Can't you see that a femme is trying to recharge here?"

Starscream and Knock Out looked at each other. “You’re online, my dear,” Starscream said, smiling. “We were worried that you might never come back online after all that has happened,” he considered kicking Knock Out.

“And I said to let you come online on your own,” Knock Out said. “Welcome back.”

Dragonfly hopped off the berth, looking at the two mechs. "After all what has happened, Starscream?"

“You were captured by the Autobots,” Starscream said. “We were worried that they might permanently offline you. But we have rescued you.” 

"Well how kind of you," Dragonfly said sarcastically to Starscream.

::You sure that your memories are working?:: Knock Out asked. ::Or could she be remembering everything you did to her last time she was here?::

::Of course I am sure,:: Starscream said.

“Lord Megatron will be elated to hear you are alright,” Knock Out said. “He was quite worried.” He said keeping from laughing. He couldn’t believe he was saying this.

Dragonfly looked over Knock Out, "What do you find so amusing, medic?"

“Oh just some odd joke I heard from one of the Vehicons that popped into my processor,” Knock out said.

"Vehicons with a sense of humor? Now I've heard everything," Dragonfly smirked.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have something to do in the infirmary.” Knock Out said and left.

Starscream watched him as he left, then looked at Soundwave. “You still have your sense of irony,” he said. “It is good to know.”

"What are my orders, Starscream?" Dragonfly asked, as her optics flashed in their new purple coloring. “Do we just stand about?”

“We are to wait for Lord Megatron,” Starscream sighed and glared at Soundwave. ‘Where is the great lord Megatron?’

“Though we might have you work here with me,” Starscream said turning and smiling at her.

“Starscream,” Megatron shouted coming in. “Is she... Dragonfly, my dear, welcome back.” He reached down to hold her chin in his hand.

Dragonfly looked up at Megatron, “Lord Megatron, thank you for the rescue party.”

“Of course, my dear Dragonfly,” Megatron said. “And how are you feeling?”

"I am feeling well and ready to serve, my Lord," Dragonfly replied.

“Very well then,” Megatron said. “I believe I will have you work with Starscream in case you don’t feel well, just tell Soundwave. He will call me.” Then he bent down and kissed her, quite enjoying this part. 

Dragonfly returned the kiss, as her reprogrammed memories told her that she was close to Megatron.

He broke the kiss. “But first, there is something we need to talk about, my dear,” Megatron said. “In our quarters.”

“As you wish,” Dragonfly said. So Megatron led her to his quarters. 

“Please sit down,” He said sitting in a chair as Dragonfly sat in a chair opposite to him. “I have been so worried. It has been so long since the Autobots captured you. And to see you here all right and online, I am so happy. But search your memory banks and tell me what have they done to you?”

Dragonfly scanned the room, assessing it as she scanned her memory banks for recent history. The room was plain and utilitarian, very little there except the necessities. Her gaze fell back upon Megatron, “I can feel a spark bond, but the other end is disconnected. I was forced into multiple spark merges until a bond formed in the hopes of teaching you a lesson and being made loyal to their cause and my new bondmate.”

“How dare they! My poor Dragonfly, …” he said, smiling inside that she believed all the false memories that been implanted in her banks. 

A console on Megatron's desk blinked notifying him of an incoming transmission. The information displayed on it told him that it was Optimus Prime. “It seems Optimus Prime wishes to call and talk to me, would you care to join me or...?” Megatron asked after reading the message.

Dragonfly looked at the desk, there was only one chair. She went over and sat down on one of Megatron's legs. “I shall join you. I may have something to say as well, after you have had your piece.”

“Very well, then,” Megatron said wrapping an arm around her and hit the command key to accept the call there.

Optimus appeared on the screen. “Megatron, return Dragonfly,” he said, trying to hold his temper as he saw her sitting with Megatron.

“Not after what you did to me!” Dragonfly growled at the screen, violet optics glowing brightly with anger.

Optimus frowned. ‘What had Megatron done to her?’ he wondered. “What is it I am supposed to have done to you, Dragonfly?” he asked. _::Lacewing?::_ He said trying their bond. 

The low growl persisted, “Abducting a femme from battle and repeatedly forcing spark merges to override any previous bonds!” she hissed. “Don’t play dumb Optimus, the role doesn't suit you, old mech.”

Optimus shuttered his optics, and cringed. “I did not force the bonding on you, Dragonfly. I gave you the choice and you accepted it,” he said.

“Considering the only other option you gave me was more torture or going offline, what did you expect me to do?” she shouted. “At first it was just to keep me online, then it grew into a sick, twisted fantasy of love.”

The claims twisted at his spark, he kept his mask retracted. “I did not give you any such choice, Dragonfly,” Optimus said opening his optics to glare at Megatron. “And it was not a fantasy. You shared that love with me.”

“Enough of your pointless lies, Optimus. She has made her choice to be back where she belongs: at my side,” Megatron said, and bent his helm down to kiss the top of Dragonfly's helm, as she leaned into his side, wrapping her arm about Megatron.

“How long before your Dragonfly turns on you, Megatron?” Optimus asked. “Before she’s wanting dark energon.” He would have to return her sooner or later.

“Starscream has almost perfected a non-addictive dark energon,” Megatron said. 

Optimus blinked, his processor once again racing, looked over at Ironhide and Ratchet who had been off to the side. Ratchet shook his head. ::Synthetic energon has only become as addictive as the dark energon,:: he told Optimus over a shared comm with Ironhide. ::And he has only brainwashed her, you still have your bond with her.::

::But without that how long do we have?:: Optimus asked.

::Not much,:: Ratchet said.

Optimus turned back to the communication. “Dragonfly, I know that there is some part of you still there fighting,” Optimus said, trying to give that part an encouraging smile. “Keep on fighting. I will get you back.”

Dragonfly looked away from the screen for a moment as she received a private comm. She stood up from Megatron's knee, standing behind him and kissing his helm, “My Lord, with your permission, Starscream has requested my assistance in the lab.”

Orion watched her. Fighting to keep himself hopeful but seeing her like this was a shard to his spark.

“Of course, my dear,” Megatron said. 

Dragonfly started to leave for the exit, but she turned back to the monitor. “With mechs like you who would use their superior strength and belief that he is better than the Primus himself, I consider myself lucky to be back at the side of my lord. He has restored my memories and faith in the true cause.”

::So they’ve altered her memory,:: Ratchet said.

::Course, they would have to,:: Ironhide said. ::To get her have feelings for Bucket Head. Don’t listen to any of that. Deep down, you’re the one she loves, Orion.::

“I do not think myself better than Primus,” Optimus said.

Ironhide killed the communication before Megatron could gloat over what he had done. Knowing how it was tearing his friend up to see his bondmate like that.

Ironhide walked over putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “We will get her back,” ‘Hide said. “And back to her real self. That’s the brainwashing talking.”

Ratchet was thinking about what they would need to do. Use her back up memory, then remove and replace the dark energon through her system before it got too late along with detoxification. A small part of him hoped that Starscream was successful it might help them and give them a little more time. Then he shook that thought off. “We have to get her back sometime soon though before the addiction to the dark energon kicks in.” 

But with what they had seen there was going to be other damage to repair. Damage from any spark merges with Megatron, and other damage. The Decepticon insignia. But there would be the memories of her time on the Nemesis, did they remove, replace that or leave it in? What horrors and guilt would she feel after that?

Optimus wondered if he had really lost her. He had tried to be as optimistic as he could. But what reason was there for Megatron to return her? For all he knew Megatron would never let her out, and there would be no hope to get her back in a battle.

“Come on talk to us,” Ironhide said, not wanting his friend to brood silently. Optimus told them what he was thinking. “Din I just tell you that is not going to happen? We’re going to get her back and Ratchet’s going to get her memory back.”

“Perhaps I should have remained unbonded and she would be safer,” Optimus said.

Ratchet and Ironhide looked at each other. “What is your processor going slaggin’ glitchy?” Ironhide said, causing Ratchet to cringe. “Your bonding with her has helped lessen how stressed you are. It was her suggestion that you be allowed a day to be just Orion Pax. Who knows what would have happened to you if she hadn’t come along.”

“Ironhide is right, Orion,” Ratchet said. “She has relieved a great deal of the burdens you place on yourself.”

Optimus smiled a little bit. “Thank you for that my old friends,” he said.

“That’s what friends are for,” Ironhide said. “Right, Hatchet?”

Ratchet sighed. “I told you not to call me that, Ironhide,” he said waving a wrench about. Ironhide only chuckled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The non-con warning applies to this chapter. Since Dragonfly isn't fully _herself_ , I am counting it as non-con.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god, I want to bury my head in the sand here. When I originally created Dragonfly, she was first a human named Stacey who died in Wheeljack's scrap room. She had been working with him, trying to build a little machine that could take a human's memories and convert them to a Cybertronian spark. Yes.... there is a whole other story already written up for that one.... I just ... hid it away and never published it.
> 
> In this story, the Decepticons are after the plans for this device... they could convert humans into their own army.
> 
> *runs off to bury head in the sand*
> 
> Also at the time I wrote this originally, it hadn't been revealed what would happen with the combination of synth en and dark en as that occurred in season 3 of Prime.

Dragonfly walked back through the corridors of the Nemesis, recalling the path taken earlier from the lab. She stepped into the lab, looking about for Starscream who had paged her back down here. 

“How did it go?” Starscream asked seeing her come in.

Dragonfly chuckled, “It went well. Optimus called while we were talking and his expressions were priceless as he watched me sitting on Lord Megatron’s lap.” She smiled at the Seeker, “Ah but you should have seen when I kissed Megatron on the helm...”

Starscream chuckled. “Optimus must have been so envious and jealous,” he said. “I could sympathize... almost.”

Truth be told, she wasn't all that fond of Megatron and of all the mechs aboard this ship, she currently felt most at ease with the Seeker. He was closer in size and interests to herself and he wasn't prone to fits of rage as the Decepticon leader was. 

Dragonfly searched her processors for the device she had built to convert Stacey into Dragonfly. "I require pencil and paper to redraw the diagrams for my machine. I can remember some things, but the rest may come as I write it down."

Starscream pulled out a roll of sheets for blueprints putting them on a table and the set of design pencils. “Here you go,” he said. “Anything else you need, just let me know, my friend.”

Dragonfly walked up beside Starscream, standing beside him at the table where he placed the pencils and paper. She looked into his faceplates and smiled, then shuttered her optics recalling what she could of her machine. She reopened them after a few kliks and started drawing on the paper.

Starscream watched her thinking about kissing her when she had her optics closed. She was standing so close. Megatron didn’t have to know if he took advantage of her, did he?

The doorwings on Dragonfly's back flicked about as she sketched quickly, her processor lost in thought on the machine.

Starscream decided to let her work on her sketches and went back to check the readings on his experiment with the synthetic dark energon. One hand clenching into a fist as another vehicon had gone beyond saving. He sent the order for it to be put offline permanently.

Dragonfly saw the fist out of the corner of her optics, “What happened?”

“We just lost another vehicon to the dark energon,” Starscream said. He turned around to look at Dragonfly. “How is your sketching going?”

"Perhaps you should step up your work in earnest then," Dragonfly said with a small smile, "I don't think Megatron will tolerate too many losses. As for the sketch, I have about seventy-five percent of it recalled and drawn down right now. The rest will come to me with some time.”

Starscream turned around. “Yes, I probably should get back to work,” he said reaching for the syringe of the latest batch of synthesized dark energon. Time to find another vehicon to inject with it. 

Dragonfly slipped herself under Starscream's arm, looking at the data for the synthetic dark energon.

“Looking for something?” Starscream said watching her. Surprised by her slipping under his arm.

"Looking at your data. As I said, the rest of the details will come to mind shortly," she said looking up at him.

“Very well,” Starscream said carefully moving his arm so as not to accidentally inject her. She already had enough in her and the addiction hadn’t seemed to take over yet. He smiled at her and walked past her. “Time to find another subject.”

Dragonfly stepped away from Starscream at the synthetic dark energon, considering how many Vehicons he had talked about putting offline, she didn’t want this synthetic slag in her yet. “You may wish to check the sketch for parts. I don’t think we have all the required parts on the ship.”

“Yes,” Starscream said carefully walking over to the table examining the sketch putting the syringe down and examining the drawing. “Then I could check the supplies on my way back.” One hand traced over the design as the other reached up to his wing massaging it where it felt sore.

Dragonfly watched the Seeker intently, and moved forwards to brush his hand off his wing, as she slipped her own hands on his wings, taking over for him.

“Hmm thank you,” Starscream said smiling. “It is hard to reach sometimes.”

"I can understand that," Dragonfly muttered.

“Can you?” Starscream said, moving his wings slightly.

"Although I am incapable of flight, I have doorwings in relatively the same position as yours," Dragonfly responded.

“Yes, quite true,” Starscream said. “But doesn’t Megatron help relieve you of the soreness?”

Dragonfly laughed, "Very funny. Have you seen us together? He is twice my size. Bumbling digits such as those anywhere near my doorwings? Naw, I close them up around him," she said switching to private comm, ::I'd rather have as little to do with him as possible. It's a show mostly, like the one you have to put on for him,:: she smiled understandingly.

“Ah very good point,” Starscream said. ::You do make an awkward looking couple,:: Starscream said. ::Now we could make a better pair. If you were willing, Dragonfly.::

::It is a thought that has crossed my processor,:: Dragonfly said.

Starscream reached back to touch her hands with his. ::Your separation from us has made me miss you so very much,:: he said. 

::Is that so?:: Dragonfly asked, her optics glimmering.

::Oh yes. We have always been friends,:: Starscream said. ::But it took the separation to make me see how I wanted to be so much more than friends. Megatron does not deserve you.::

Dragonfly just stood there smiling at him.

Starscream turned around leaning back on the table looking back at her, a little smile on his face. Then he pushed himself off, leaned down and kissed her.

Dragonfly was about to reach for the pencil to write down another piece that occurred to her, when Starscream kissed her. She reached up with her hands, cupping his faceplates, moving into the kiss.

::Am I distracting you?:: he asked, she certainly was distracting him now. He broke off the kiss looking down at her, admiring her purple optics.

“Yes you are, but you already knew that. Nor would that have stopped you,” Dragonfly said.

“I’ll leave you with that to think,” he said picking up the syringe, grinning and left the lab.

Dragonfly's optics were starting to become more of their natural blue tone as the dark energon started to run thin in her system. She was going to need to refuel soon. She started to pace the lab as she felt the increased power and ability to think draining from her system. She wondered when she was going to get her next cube of energon, and paced about as the hunger started taking over her processors.

Having injected the vehicon, Starscream attached the tracking device to it. Then he headed for the supply closet to check for the parts needed for Dragonfly’s device. Yes, there were quite a lot of parts they didn’t have. ::Megatron we’d need a supply raid to get these parts for her device,:: He said over a private comm.

Dragonfly swiped her hands at her optics, trying to recall where she was or how she got here, but her tank was trying to take top priority over her processors at the moment. Starscream entered the lab, seeing her pacing again.

Dragonfly watched Starscream re-enter the lab, "Energon?" she asked him, with nearly blue optics.

“I’ll get some,” he said opening a cabinet he took out a cube of energon and held it out to her, watching carefully. “Here you go.”

Dragonfly took the cube of dark energon, opening and drinking it down without questioning it. Her processors knew that this would stop the hunger and allow her to think clearly again.

“Feeling better?” he asked, carefully watching her.

"Much," she said, looking down at her hands staring at them to stop them from shaking. She finished off the energon cube, then put the empty cube down on the corner of the desk. "What were we doing?"

Starscream walked over and took her hands in his. ::We were talking about us,:: he said leaning down and giving her a quick kiss. 

::Just talking?:: Dragonfly asked, pushing Starscream up to the wall as she kissed him back.

::So far,:: Starscream said surprised by her action. 

::Are you just talk?:: Dragonfly taunted him, feeling the rush of the dark energon hitting her systems again.

::Only when the situation requires it,:: Starscream said. ::Which is most of the time when Megatron is concerned.:: He wrapped his arms around her switching their positions where she was up against the wall. He leaned down to nibble at the cables in her neck.

Dragonfly folded her doorwings into her back to avoid getting them damaged. ::I warn you only, do not start something you do not intend to finish, Starscream.::

::Oh intend to finish, :: Starscream promised as he continued nibbling and licking at the cables and wires in her neck. His interfacing programming kicking in. ‘So long,’ he thought.

Dragonfly moved her helm to give Starscream better access to her neck cables, as her hands went to his waist. She growled at him, enjoying the play, ::Have you done grounders before?::

::A few times, long ago,:: Starscream admitted. His hands went to her waist as well, his fingers working into the seams feeling her wires and cables out carefully.

Megatron's voice came over the comm channel, ::Starscream! I have put together a team of Vehicons for you to take planet-side. Go get the parts you need for your project.::

Starscream hissed removing his hands and stepping back. “Another time my dear,” he said. “And I will finish this.” ::I’m coming, Lord Megatron,:: he said. “I suppose you should come along as well, you said you needed parts for your device.”

“Very well,” Dragonfly said, pushing herself off from the wall, doorwings flipping out automatically. “Let’s go then,” she said glancing at the parts list and memorizing it.

Starscream led the way to where the team of Vehicons were waiting. Dragonfly dutifully followed him, still re-learning the routes of the ship.

Ironhide had talked Optimus into going for a drive, maybe they’d find some vehicons mining energon for them to take and try and find out where the Nemesis and Dragonfly were. But it was better than having him pacing around the base.

::We’re going to find her and Ratchet will get her back to herself,:: Ironhide was saying, reassuring his friend for the millionth time.

::Hide,:: Optimus said.

::Yes?:: Ironhide asked.

::Enough,:: Optimus told him. ::I know we’ll get her back and Ratchet can change her memories but the dark energon.::

::Ratchet’s working on it,:: Ironhide said. ::He’ll find a solution to that problem. He’s the best medic.:: 

Optimus smiled at that. ::Thank you, old friend,:: he said.

Meanwhile, Starscream led his team of Vehicons through the ground bridge first, with Dragonfly beside him. They emerged through the other end at a civilian science laboratory and manufacturing plant.

"This looks promising," Dragonfly said, scanning the plant. Then she turned her attention to the Vehicons as they spread out in front of herself and Starscream.

::Red Alert to Optimus and Ironhide,:: the comm said interrupting them.

::Yes, Red Alert,:: Ironhide answered. ::What is it?:: He was itching for some action. 

::There’s been a report of Starscream with Dragonfly and some Vehicons at a human science and manufacturing plant. Transmitting coordinates. Jazz is sending a team: the Twins, Silverstreak and Bumblebee, along with himself.:: Red said.

::Let’s go, Ironhide,:: Optimus said speeding up as much as he could. 

::Right,:: Ironhide said, grinning. He sped up moving in front of Optimus. They weren’t that far away.

Starscream stepped over to the buildings, ducking his helm to fit into the building. He looked about the storage shed, red optics glowing brightly. “Remain out here,” he told the vehicons. “Watch for Autobots.”

Dragonfly followed him, as the Vehicons kept guard outside. Being slightly shorter than Starscream, she was able to walk right into the shed without ducking, although her helm was near the ceiling. Her violet optics, also glowing brightly. She moved quietly about the shed picking up pieces and examining them. Some pieces she put into her subspace, while others she replaced where she had found them.

Optimus felt the pull of the bond as they got closer. _::Dragonfly,::_ he said over their bond. Sending his love to her. _::Please talk to me.::_

Dragonfly lifted her helm and looked about as she felt her sparkbond activate. She looked at Starscream, then slipped out of the storage shed, looking for the source.

Starscream looked at Dragonfly, wondering what was up with her. He grabbed her arm as she attempted to slip past. “Where are you going?” he asked.

::There is someone coming. Can you not sense it?:: Dragonfly said to Starscream over a private comm.

::It must be the Autobot you’re bonded to,:: Starscream replied. ::They must be close. Stay with me. Fight the pull.::

::Then what are we doing waiting here?:: Dragonfly asked, as she felt the aggression surge in her from the dark energon. ::Let's go take them on.::

“The vehicons and I will deal with this,” Starscream said. “It is too soon for you to be fighting them.”

Dragonfly growled. "I am capable of fighting. I want to fight."

::I know she’s here, Ironhide, I can sense her,:: Optimus said transforming and firing his blasters at the vehicons.

“And I said stay here,” Starscream hissed at her, tightening his grip on her arm.

"The Vehicons will get slaughtered out there! They are morons!" Dragonfly said shaking her arm free from Starscream’s grip. She switched off the sparkbond that she was feeling, as it was causing her to be distracted. "I want some vengeance for what they did to me."

“Very well,” Starscream said, knowing that the dark energon would make her stronger and faster than the vehicons and possibly himself. “But if I say to retreat, follow me. Take some vehicons for back up.” ‘Dark energon or not, they could still take her back. it’s too soon.’

Ironhide had transformed and wasn’t far behind him firing his cannons on the vehicons.

Dragonfly knew that she was much faster in her alt-mode, and the dark energon was only making her more so. She transformed and rushed through the Vehicons, sending a quick comm message to two of them to back her up. She transformed and jumped at Optimus' chest, violet optics glowing with anger.

Optimus had felt her close her end of the bond. “Dragonfly,” Optimus said, falling backwards taking her wrists in his hands to pull her off. He wasn’t about to fire with her there. “I would not do what you accused me of. I love you too much to harm you.” 

"Lies!" Dragonfly said, ripping her wrists free from his grasp, and going to her subspace for her blades, pulling them out and putting them to his neck cables.

Ironhide blasted the two Vehicons and grabbed at her shoulders to pull her off. “Now you don’t want to really go and do that, Dragonfly,” he said holding her between them.

Starscream had watched Dragonfly rush into the battle with the two Vehicons, once he saw that they had been taken out and Ironhide was pulling her off Optimus, Starscream fired off his missiles one after the other at Ironhide. He wasn't about to allow the Autobots to take her back yet, Megatron would not be pleased at all.

Ironhide dropped her after the first missile hit. “Screamer,” he shouted. “Better get up quick Optimus. I’ll deal with him. You deal with her.” He returned fire at Starscream.

Optimus pushed himself up, quickly looking and watching Dragonfly. “You want to hit me go ahead,” he said. “I can take it.”

Dragonfly, being bonded to Optimus, was aware of his sensitive spots. She swept a leg behind his, swiftly kicking him in the back of his left knee, attempting to drop him to the ground again.

Optimus dropped to one knee. “Ironhide would be proud of you if he could watch,” he said smiling at her. “Think about Stacey, did she work with the Decepticons? ”

Dragonfly growled and slashed at Optimus' neck cables on his right side, before pushing him down onto his back again. "You talk too much..."

Although Starscream was impressed, he could see that she was about to get overwhelmed. ::Dragonfly! Retreat now, we need to get back to the ship.::

::Ironhide, I need some more help with her,:: Optimus said over the comm. 

Ironhide stopped firing his cannons and turned running to help his friend. He charged to tackle Dragonfly from behind.

Dragonfly could sense Ironhide approaching, and she leapt over Optimus' prone frame, transforming as she landed and driving back through the Vehicons, zigzagging back to Starscream. She re-opened the bond again once she was safe beside Starscream, ::Consider that a lesson for forcing me to spark merge with you.::

 _::I did not force you, remember the emergency spark merge you performed on me, Lacewing,::_ Optimus said, his optics shutting from the loss of energon. But his helm turned towards the direction he sensed she was in.

Dragonfly turned to look at Optimus. With the bond re-opened she was able to feel the pain he was in right now and she set up a filter to block out the physical pain from him. She sent him back the memories she had of him and Ratchet forcing themselves upon her. _::That is not the way I remember it.::_

Optimus showed her images of them in his meadow. _::Ratchet did not and would not force a spark merge with you, neither would I.::_ He showed her the image from her lockdown of Megatron and Starscream torturing her, along with memories of the last time the Decepticons had taken her.. _::Think about it.::_

 _::That is falsified. They would not torture me,::_ Dragonfly said, being made to believe that Megatron was her mate and Starscream her good friend.

Optimus used what little consciousness he had left to search why she was here. And his spark dropped. _::Think of Cybertron and Earth then, do you want Earth to become like Cybertron, ask Megatron about that? Would Stacey want that?::_ Then his systems had to shut down.

Dragonfly left through the opened Decepticon ground bridge, followed by Starscream and what Vehicons were left.

::Jazz, get over here,:: Ironhide said. ::We have to get him back to the base...now.:: He and Jazz helped move the offline Optimus through the space bridge where Ratchet was waiting but for Dragonfly.

“What happened?” Ratchet asked. ::Jack bring the sled, now.:: he called his spark twin over the bond. 

::I’m coming,:: Wheeljack said. ::What happened? Did they get her back?::

“He got distracted by her, let his guard down and she attacked him,” Ironhide said. “I had to pull her off one time and scare her off the next.

::No, Optimus is offline,:: Ratchet said. ::Cut energon lines and wires.:: 

Wheeljack sped it up bringing the antigrav sled. Ironhide and Jazz lifted him up onto it and Ratchet pushed it to the medbay.


	4. Chapter 4

Sometime later the repairs finished. Ironhide sat in a chair by Optimus’ berth, watching him. Both him and Ratchet were pretty mad at him for letting his guard down. He would have thought his friend would know better than to trust her after what they had seen when she had talked to them.

Optimus opened his optics. “Her machine, they’re building it,” he said thinking about the last thing he remembered before going offline.

“Hatchet, he’s online,” Ironhide called. “Well that was a purty foolish thing, totally letting down your guard for an evil femme.”

“So who’s going to be the new Prime once we melt him down?” Ratchet said. They had agreed they were both going to lecture him.

“You’re not really listening, ‘Hide,” Optimus said. Though he knew they wouldn’t really melt him down or would they? He knew it had been foolish but he had been hoping that there was something of the Dragonfly he knew in the one at the manufacturing plant. 

“So they’re building her machine?” Ironhide said. “Heard ya the first time, Prime.”

“A whole new army of Decepticons,” Ratchet said. “It would also mean they’d be incapacitated for awhile carrying and then raising sparklings but with human memories. But still not good news.”

“We need to stop them and get her back,” Ironhide said.

“We need to destroy that machine first,” Ratchet said. “Or at the same time, if possible.”

“A bomb?” Ironhide asked. “We’d also need to destroy any plans they have in their computers.”

“You would need stasis cuffs for her,” Ratchet said. 

“Maybe have you go with us, Ratchet,” Ironhide said. “You would know how to knock her out with just one of your wrenches.”

Optimus lay in the berth, watching and listening to them fire off ideas. “Now we just need to find out where the Nemesis is,” he finally said.

“We just find a bunch of vehicons in an energon mine and force them to call for a bridge,” Ironhide said.

“Or we let them take someone prisoner,” Ratchet said.

“Jazz would be good,” Optimus said.

“He may be the best for sabotaging,’ Ratchet said. “But there are a number of things he doesn’t have.”

“What doesn’t he have?” Ironhide asked.

“He doesn't have the memories of Dragonfly that Optimus does,” Ratchet said. “And with the dark energon, she could easily overpower Jazz. If he can keep his head, Optimus could get to her. I assume you were trying to show her memories that you two share.”

“Yes, among other things,” Optimus said. ::She thought you and I had forced spark merges with her, Ratchet.:: he said over a private channel.

::Starscream probably altered her memories like we said earlier when Megatron gloated.::

* * *

Back on the Nemesis, Megatron was unhappy that Starscream had taken Dragonfly with him on the supply raid. He had Soundwave stationed back in the lab. Starscream concentrated on his dark energon synthetic.

Dragonfly was bent over the table with the blueprints for “Stacey’s machine,” although at the moment she was processing the batch of memories and emotions she had received over the bond with Optimus. Although she had been implanted with fake memories that she was Megatron's mate, she didn't feel anything for the mech really. If Starscream was really her good friend, why was he trying to mate with her when she was supposed to be with Megatron. Things weren't adding up very well.

The memories that Optimus had sent to her had more substance to them. They felt more solid, not like reaching through through a veil or a fog at the few memories that had been implanted in her memory banks.

She ran through the scenes of the emergency spark merge. She pulled up the image he sent of his meadow. Then she finally went to the scene he sent her of her torture at the hands of Megatron and Starscream. This one confused her and she compared it to the implanted memory that she had showing her Optimus and Ratchet forcing their sparks on hers.

One time, Megatron had left Dragonfly in his quarters alone while he went up to the bridge. She was supposed to be recharging, but she was unable to get comfortable enough to recharge. She sat up on the berth and called the lights on. Then she looked about the room again, her optics fell on a sketchbook that she had missed the first look about the room. 

It was her old sketchbook from that Optimus had given to Megatron to get her back, the first time after she had been captured by the Decepticons. She picked it up and then sat down on the berth with it, opening it up. She flicked through the images slowly, they were all the images she had drawn in the beginning as Stacey with the Autobots and how she imagined them in their human forms. She flipped book onto its back and opened it up, working her way towards the front one page at a time. The whole back quarter of the book was full of the old sketches of Optimus.

On the bridge of the Nemesis, Megatron had gathered both Soundwave and Starscream beside him. "Do what you must Starscream to get her to finish the plans for that machine. You almost lost her once to the Autobots already, they are probably working on a way to get her back right now. Once she has completed the plans, we can throw her in a brig until we have use for her again."

“Leave me alone in the lab,” Starscream said. “No Soundwave. If she can relax it might help. Soundwave’s presence doesn’t help my research either.”

“Very well, Starscream,” Megatron said, “You have one cycle to achieve results with the femme alone in your lab.”

Starscream went to get Dragonfly from Megatron’s quarters.

"Why are there so many images of him in here?" Dragonfly asked herself. She looked up hearing footsteps approaching the door, she quickly subspaced the sketchbook and laid down on the berth.

He entered seeing her on the berth. He went over to bring her out of recharge. He touched her shoulder and shook her. 

Dragonfly grabbed Starscream by the shoulders, and flipped him over her and roughly slammed him on the berth beside her for pulling her out of recharge.

“Dragonfly,” he said surprised and shaken.

Dragonfly glared at the Seeker, then realized the fact that she had him on a berth beside her. She thought about what to do about this predicament.

“I am here to show you back to the lab. Lord Megatron demands results from both of us,” Starscream said moving off the berth, glaring at her. “He is already unhappy with my taking you on the supply raid. I have managed to get Soundwave out of the lab so we don’t have any pressure from his watching and listening to us.” He walked to the doorway and waited for her.

Dragonfly pushed herself up from the berth and followed him, unamused at having been woken from recharge.

Starscream left the room headed for the lab, assuming she was still following him. He went to work on his synthetic dark energon project feeling it best not to pressure her, let her wake up from recharge.

Dragonfly had followed Starscream to the lab and was looking at her blueprints, trying to recall the rest of it. Her processors still had the images of her sketches of Optimus running through her, distracting her though.


	5. Chapter 5

They had found an energon mine with some vehicons still working. Jazz, Ratchet and Ironhide took Optimus there. “So you open a ground bridge and let me on the Nemesis, Prime,” Jazz said. “I’ll take care of the device and information if need be. But for now we wait there. You’re injured, angry and out of your slaggin processors with grief for Dragonfly.”

“Do you really have to word it like that Jazz?” Optimus asked.

“Yes,” Jazz said. “She’s almost dead to you. Megs has to think you’re alone, and weak after her attack. This is about the only way to explain it.”

“Alright,” Optimus said. Then looked at his other two friends. “Ironhide, Ratchet are you ready for your parts in this rescue?”

“Yes Optimus,” Ratchet said. “The stasis cuffs are in my subspace pocket.”

“Ah’m ready,” Ironhide said. “Now go get going.”

Optimus stumbled away from them already having had a few cubes of high grade energon. “Dragonfly,” he cried. “Slagging Decepticons, steal away my Dragonfly and lie to her.”

“Did we let him have too much high grade?” Ironhide said quietly watching. 

“Or is that just bad acting?” Ratchet said.

“Bad acting, “Jazz said “But Vehicons are pretty dumb.”

The vehicons easily captured Optimus, called for a ground bridge and alerted Megatron to the fact they had a prisoner.

“What?” Megatron shouted on the bridge as he heard who it was. He went off to see this for himself. He considering having Starscream bring Dragonfly, then decided against it for now.

The ground bridge appeared. “And that is our cue,” Jazz said running up. Ironhide and Ratchet followed. Ironhide easily blasted two vehicons with his cannons. Jazz kicked out a few. While Ratchet knocked some out with his wrenches, picking them up and away. 

“Okay, let’s go,” Jazz said. “Megs will probably greet you, Optimus. So you can deal with him. Ironhide, you stay and help him. Ratchet can come with me and we’ll find Dragonfly, destroy her device and we all leave with her.”

Optimus led the small group. Optimus pulling out his swords ready for Megatron.

“The great Optimus...” Megatron was caught by surprise as the group attacked. He drew his swords and fought with Optimus. 

_::Dragonfly?::_ Optimus said filtering the bond as he fought with Megatron. Ironhide dealt with a pair of vehicons.

Dragonfly looked up from her plans she was sketching, getting more of it written down. She heard her name being called down the re-activated sparkbond. 'On the ship? How?'

::Okay, Ratchet,:: Jazz said over a private comm. ::Let’s go find Dragonfly.::

::Yes,:: Ratchet said following Jazz closely down the corridor, letting him deal with any Vehicons they ran into.

News of the couple of Autobots invading the Nemesis spread quickly. Starscream had been ordered that under no circumstances should he or Dragonfly leave the lab

::Starscream, status of the device?:: Megatron asked.

::She is still working on the plans,:: Starscream said. 

::Do not let her out of the lab,:: Megatron said. ::Lock the doors if you have to.::

Starscream went to lock the door, entering his security code.

Dragonfly looked at Starscream, "I am working on the plans as requested. I have no plans of escape."

“Of course,” Starscream said. “Just a drill and we don’t need any interruptions.” He walked back to his console to pour over the data from the vehicons.

“Then why lock the doors if it is just a drill?” Dragonfly asked.

“Vehicons have been known to break in during drills and disrupt my experiments before,” he growled.

“Ah. I understand,” Dragonfly said returning to her work.

“Glad that you do,” he said and returned to his console.

 _::Dragonfly?::_ Optimus repeated as he pinned Megatron against the wall of the room. _::Answer me, please.::_

Dragonfly looked up from her work, staring at the opposite wall as she heard the bond chatter. She sent him images of him from the sketchbook that she had in her subspace at the moment, _::How... why are you here? Explain these...::_

Optimus smiled behind the mask, so the sketchbook had been useful once again. Allowing Megatron to push him back. _::From what you told me, you drew them because you were attracted to me,::_ Optimus answered. 

“Optimus,” Ironhide said and Optimus pushed Megatron back. Then ran off to find Dragonfly. “Fine I’ll deal with Megatron,” Ironhide said and charged the large mech.

 _::Where are you?::_ Optimus asked her over their bond as he ran down the corridor cutting down vehicons.

Starscream took out a syringe of the non synthetic dark energon walking up behind her. “How are you doing, Dragonfly?” he asked. 

"I... am working on the plans, as you requested" Dragonfly responded.

Starscream inserted in needle into an energon line, squeezing the syringe. “Perhaps this will help you,” he said.

"What?" Dragonfly said, turning on Starscream as she felt the energon line get pierced. "That feels good..." she said, pushing Starscream up against the wall. "Do you want to play now, Starscream?" she smiled.

“We have no time for that,” Starscream said. Though he was a bit tempted.

"Let's make time," Dragonfly growled and then kissed the Seeker. 

Starscream fought the kiss. ::We have work to do, Dragonfly,:: he said over a private comm.

Optimus blasted another door down in his search, feeling what was happening to her. _::Dragonfly, answer me.::_

"Fine," Dragonfly huffed and let him drop to the floor. She walked over to the desk again, looking at the plans. This second dose of energon wasn’t letting her think clearly. She pulled one of her blades from subspace and stabbed the paper with it, frustrated.

Starscream pushed himself back up watching her and jumped when she stabbed the paper. ‘That was a mistake,’ he thought to himself and tried to concentrate on his research, feeling slightly aroused by what had just happened between them.

Dragonfly was watching her blade quiver in the desk for a nanoklik, then she pulled it out and put it back in her subspace. 

Optimus blasted another door down running across Jazz and Ratchet. “So you left Hide to deal with Megatron?” Jazz said shaking his helm.

“I was getting impatient,” Optimus said. “Any luck?”

“No,” Jazz said. “Ratchet maybe you should go with him.” ::Keep an eye on him, you still have the stasis cuffs.:: he said privately to the medic.

“Right,” Ratchet said, as Jazz transformed and drove around a corner, scanning rooms. “Keep this up and I should ask Ironhide to make me a weapon.”

“Keep what up?” Optimus asked. 

“Taking me into battles,” Hatchet said. “This is getting dangerous.” he tested a door. “Locked.”

“Stand back,” Optimus said. Ratchet stood back against the wall opposite as he blasted the door and then kicked it down for good effect. ::Slag it, Dragonfly, answer me. Where are you?::

Dragonfly heard Optimus through the bond and shook her helm, trying to clear the effects the double dose of dark energon was having on her processor. Prior to having been injected with the second dose, she was beginning to question her place on this ship, _::Optimus...?::_

 _::Yes, Dragonfly?::_ Optimus replied moving onto the next door. The room was empty, a storage room. _::Are you alright?::_ He could sense that her processor was fuzzy and clouded. He used the bond to scan her opening it all the way to her. _::Dark energon, it is addictive and if not satisfied...there are bad effects. But Ratchet has a possible solution.::_

“What is the problem, my dear?” Starscream asked checking on her and seeing she wasn’t working. At least the blade was gone from the drawing.

“She’s been given a double dose of dark energon,” He told Ratchet. “Her processor is foggy.”

Ratchet shook his helm, frowning. “So you’re in contact with her?” he said. “It’s going to be hard on her clearing out her systems of it.”

Dragonfly managed to show Optimus enough of a route that she had now memorized going from Megatron's quarters to Starscream's science lab. She turned her concentration back to Starscream, “Sorry. I … was lost in thought, trying to recall the specifics of hooking up the power supply so that it doesn’t cause the entire device to explode,” she said covering for herself.

“Perhaps, I can help you relax enough to recall,” Starscream said walking up to her and massaging her doorwings being a little bit rough.

Dragonfly growled happily at the massage of the doorwings, the roughness causing more excitement as a direct cause of the dark energon on her system.

“I know where she is now,” Optimus said. “Stay close.” And took off for a run. “ ::Jazz, we found her, Starscream is with her. Back down my corridor.:: He was distracted again as he could feel how happy she was. ‘What was Starscream doing to her?’

::On my way,:: Jazz said braking and transforming to turn and run back to where he had left Optimus and Ratchet.

Optimus stopped at the door and kicked at it. “Dragonfly,” Optimus said. Then he took his swords to the door to pry it open like a tin can.

The mood was broken for Dragonfly as she heard the door being kicked. She folded her doorwings in quickly, standing up straight up and pulling her blades out from subspace again, just in case. Her processors were fogged up once more trying to think all this through. She watched as Optimus' swords pried the door open, rather in shock and impressed.

Starscream backed away from her as she drew her blades. ‘Should have removed her blades,’ he thought, moving his hands away.

Optimus stepped in finally having enough opening for him and Ratchet to come in finally. “Starscream,” he growled pointing a sword at the Seeker. Then he looked at Dragonfly, smiling. “Dragonfly, my dragonfly.”

Dragonfly was long past the point of being able to think clearly. She no longer knew who was going to attack her or who to attack. She was ready at this point to attack anyone coming at her with a weapon, everyone was fair game. She took up a defensive stand where she stood, optics glowing brightly and darting about. She wielded her blades ready to attack.

Optimus slowly stepped towards her. _::It’s me, Dragonfly,::_ he said, sending her reassurance through their bond but with one sword still out. _::Orion Pax.::_

Dragonfly growled seeing Optimus approach with a sword drawn. Optimus put the sword back in subspace. _::Ratchet be ready with the stasis cuffs or one of your wrenches if we need to knock her offline.::_

Ratchet reached back into his subspace pocket, one hand with the cuffs, the other with a wrench.

Starscream stood against the wall as Jazz walked in keeping an eye on the Seeker. “No, sudden movements, Starscream,” he said ready with a judo chop. Starscream opened a comm channel to Megatron, ::Optimus and two of the Autobots are at the science lab.::

::What?!:: Megatron shouted over the comm channel, ::I’m sending Vehicons down there now.::

 _::It’s okay,::_ Optimus said. _::I’m not going to hurt you.::_ Taking a few more steps towards her hands now empty.

Dragonfly hopped onto the desk, not turning her back on Optimus and not ready to trust either. This put her slightly above him height-wise, and she quickly surveyed the situation: Jazz and Ratchet at the entrance to the lab, Optimus in front of her, and Starscream cowering in fear.

::Ratchet,:: Optimus said. ::May your aim be true, old friend.::

“I am sorry about this,” Ratchet said and threw his wrench at Dragonfly.

Dragonfly looked at Ratchet as he spoke, just in time to see the wrench coming at her helm, she ducked the wrench. Then she launched herself off the desk, aiming for Ratchet who was now armed only with the stasis cuffs.

Ratchet quickly drew out another wrench, aiming and throwing it at her.

Dragonfly felt the blow of the wrench off her helm, and smiled at Ratchet. "Do you have more of those?" She wrestled the older medic back into Jazz, standing behind him.

“Yes,” Ratchet said as he fell to the floor under her momentum. “Jazz, the cuffs.” He tossed them the best he could. ::The dark energon makes pain into pleasure. Any more hits and well she might be just as loopy as you, Orion.::

Jazz picked up the cuffs quickly as Optimus took her by the shoulders and lifted her so Ratchet could get out from under her. Then he pinned her back down. 

Dragonfly struggled as best she could under Optimus' strong grip. "Let go of me, slaggers!" Dragonfly cursed pinned and annoyed about it.

“Now, Jazz,” he said. Jazz quickly snapped the cuffs on to Dragonfly.

Six Vehicons had been sent down to Starscream’s lab as ordered by Megatron. They saw the three Autobots and Dragonfly and started to attack Jazz and Ratchet. One of them helped Dragonfly to her feet and moved her out of the way of the Autobots.

Dragonfly, having been helped to her feet, was still annoyed at having been pinned and cuffed. She bent her helm down and charged at Jazz, trying to take him off his feet.

Optimus drew his swords and attacked one of the vehicons, slicing him in half top to bottom. Ratchet threw wrenches. “I am definitely asking Ironhide for a blaster,” he said. “Next time we do this.” Then he pulled out his surgical blades and attacked another Vehicon.

Jazz dodged Dragonfly’s charge. “We’re not trying to hurt you,” he said and gave her a soft tap at the back of her helm as she passed him. “We’re friends.”

"Then why are you attacking me?" Dragonfly growled, turning to face Jazz. She was unable to do much with her hands cuffed behind her.

“So you don’t hurt yourself,” Jazz answered. As he kicked back at a Vehicon behind him.

"He threw a wrench at me," Dragonfly growled, indicating Ratchet.

Ratchet cut another of his vehicons in half from the sides.

“With that dark energon you’re a little confused,” Jazz said, punching another one. “And a bit strong. He was trying to knock you out, not hurt you. He’s a medic and a very good one too.”

Dragonfly saw another Vehicon about to attack Jazz from behind, and she charged at it, turning sideways into it, crushing it into the wall. "He tried to force a spark merge on me!"

Jazz watched her. “Good move,” he said. 

Ratchet sputtered. “I would not!” he exclaimed.

“It is altered like you said earlier,” Optimus said. “In the stasis lock you saw Megatron ready to force you into a spark merge, I showed you that.”

"Too many conflicting memories!" Dragonfly shouted, banging her own helm into the wall confused and frustrated at being unable to sort this out with her processor so fogged.

“Okay let’s get out of here and help Ironhide,” Jazz said. “Then go home. and Ratchet can help you with the memories and the dark energon.”

Optimus came over putting his hands on her shoulders. “I know it is confusing. Now please stop that, I can feel it too,” he said.

::We’re on our way back to you, Ironhide,:: Jazz said.

::About time,:: Ironhide said. ::He’s tiring out but so am I. Now tell me you found her and got her.::

::Yes,:: Jazz replied as they left the lab.

“Once again I apologize,” Ratchet said tapping her with a wrench to offline her temporarily. “It’s for your own good.”

Dragonfly was puzzling through what Optimus had just told her, staring up at him with her optics still wild and violet-hued when Ratchet knocked her offline with his wrench.

“I’ll carry her,” Jazz said, picking her up and carrying her in his arms.. “You’re going to have to finish dealing with Megatron, Optimus.”

Optimus picked up the plans putting them in his subspace and quickly planted a virus into the database that would destroy them and Starscream’s synthetic dark energon. Then he led the group dealing with any Vehicons that got in their way with Ratchet in the rear. They soon arrived back at the ground bridge. Optimus attacked Megatron once again, while Ironhide quickly programmed the coordinates where the other Autobots were waiting just in case and opened the bridge.

“Time to leave, Optimus,” Ironhide called as Ratchet and Jazz went through first. He followed. Optimus struck one last blow of his sword and made for the ground bridge, transforming before he exited.


	6. Chapter 6

Arriving back through the ground bridge, Jazz handed Dragonfly back to Optimus. “Thank you, Jazz,” Optimus said.

“You’re welcome, Optimus,” Jazz said, smiling. “She belongs in your arms and when Ratchet’s restored her memory, she’ll like your arms better than mine.”

Ratchet watched Jazz and Optimus with a small smile on his face. "Alright, you two, let's get her back to medbay and fixed up."

Optimus followed Ratchet into the medbay, placing her gently on a berth in the back of the medbay and undid the stasis cuffs to make her more comfortable.

Although she was still offline due to the wrench to the helm, Ratchet still wanted to sedate her for when that wore off. He set up a line of tubing and fresh energon for when he could start putting it into her systems after he drained the dark energon.

Then he opened the port to empty out the dark energon through a funnel and into a bucket. Optimus stood off to the side watching and thinking how she had done the same thing for him when he had drank the tainted energon.

“This will be quite awhile,” Ratchet said. “You might sit down or lie in berth Optimus rather than standing or pacing.”

“I’ll sit then, Ratchet,” Optimus said. He pulled up a chair and sat down, continuing to watch it. “I’ll just get something from her subspace pocket,” he said reaching in and pulling the sketchbook. He smiled, sitting back down and slowly flipping through the pages.

Ratchet scanned to check her energon levels. it was getting there but not quite yet. He checked Knock Out’s repairs, making a few final touches and improvements to them. He took the buffer removing the Decepticon insignia. He rescanned and the level was getting close to time for the fresh energon line. He hung up the bag of energon hanging it up and attached the tubing. 

Optimus looked up from the sketchbook, looking at his friend’s face. Then ran a scan on her systems. The dark energon was running low. Ratchet inserted the line for the fresh energon, closing the other port.

“First Aid, bring Dragonfly’s memory back up,” Ratchet said. “We can restore the memory we backed up from her last check up while we’re putting fresh energon in.”

“No more banging her helm for the false memories,” Optimus said, smiling.

“Or thinking you forced her to spark merge with you,” Ratchet said. “She is going to be going through withdrawal from the dark energon.”

“What is going to happen then?” Optimus asked.

“Shouting, screaming,” Ratchet said. “Flux, I might see about putting her in an isolated soundproofed room for that.”

Optimus nodded his helm. “I will help you with watching her,” he said. “She will need support.”

“She’ll blame herself for what she has done to you,” Ratchet said. “She will need watching as well.” He looked at the berth considering whether he should restrain her before she came back online. He figured it might be better, with the withdrawal symptoms and closed and locks the padded restraints. “Now we just wait for her to regain consciousness. The restraints are for her own safety.”

“Isolation sounds good to protect your other patients,” Optimus said. “Shall I help you?”

“Yes,” Ratchet said. He moved the equipment as Optimus pushed the berth into the the isolation room. Then Optimus went back and got the chair to sit down.

“I’ll be in my office when she come back online,” Ratchet said. “She is not my only patient. Let me know when she comes back online, preferable via private comm so as to not disturb the other patients.”

“Thank you, Ratchet,” Optimus said before Ratchet left closing the door.

Dragonfly came online with a soft groan. Her processors were throbbing and instinctively she knew she needed the dark energon that she had been consuming aboard the Nemesis. She opened her optics blinking against the bright lights of the medbay, and shuttered them again as it just caused more pain.

Dragonfly ran an internal scan of her systems, she was connected to an energon line. Instead of re-opening her optics Dragonfly scanned her surroundings: medbay, Ratchet, and Optimus. Although she could also tell that Optimus was there as she could feel their bond. 

Dragonfly opened her optics again, this time bearing with the pain of the lights. She turned her helm to look for her sparkmate. 

Optimus got up to turn the lights in the room down, sensing they were too bright for her. “How are you feeling?” Optimus asked, noticing she had come back online. “Better?”

"Energon," she said quietly, pushing an image of a cube of the dark energon through their bond. "Hungry."

“No, I’m sorry no dark energon, Dragonfly,” Optimus said. ::Ratchet, she’s online. Asking for dark energon.::

::Yes, she will be asking for it of course after having it for awhile,:: Ratchet said.

Dragonfly frowned at his refusal. She knew that she needed it right now, her system was telling her this is what it needed. "Please? Hungry, pain." She tried to roll in the berth to see him, but found that she couldn't move her limbs. She both looked and scanned herself to see what had been done. Then she looked at Optimus, trying to decide if she should be mad or continue asking for what she needed. 

Optimus showed her the image of a cube of the light blue energon. “I can give you that only,” he said. Optimus thought he’d try something different. “What do you remember, Dragonfly?”

"Recently? Or in general?" she asked. 

“In general,” Optimus answered. He wanted to be sure this was his Dragonfly.

Dragonfly groaned as she thought about where to begin, "I'm the youngest of the Autobots, having been a human before this. I'm spark bonded to you, Optimus Prime. I'm a scout who usually works with Bumblebee and Silverstreak. And my other friends are Flutter and Ironhide. And Wheeljack is my sire, having carried my spark after the accident that offlined Stacey. If that's enough information, can I get a reward now?" She tried again sending him the image of the dark energon cube.

 _::I am sorry no dark energon,::_ Optimus said. _::What is my name, here? And your nickname?::_ He got up, brushing her faceplates with his fingers.

Dragonfly fought to keep her temper, but enjoying the touch of him against her. Why couldn't he just give her what she needed? _::I call you by your original designation, Orion Pax, the data clerk who worked in Iacon and befriended Megatron until he turned on you. And you have nicknamed me Lacewing.::_

“I can’t give you the dark energon because you are in detox after what has recently happened,” Optimus said, continuing to brush her face. “What about recent memory?”

Dragonfly accessed her recent memory banks, going back to the battle in which she was captured. She replayed all the scenes in her mind. When she got to the scene of sitting on Megatron's lap and taunting Optimus, she turned her helm away from his touch.

 _::It’s alright, Lacewing,::_ Optimus said. _::They changed your memories. You didn’t know what you were doing.::_ He took her helm in his hands turning it to kiss her. _::I said you could hit me, and you can scream, yell, and shout at me. I can take it.::_

She saw the memories of her and Starscream and she clenched her hands into fists. And the battle scene where she managed to knock him to his knees and sliced through his neck cables. She wasn't strong enough now to fight him turning his helm to her, but she closed her optics instead. _::Please don't kiss me, I'm not worthy of you for that.::_

Optimus broke the kiss, still touching her face. _::But I love you, Dragonfly and I want to kiss you,:: _he said. _::Think of all the things I wouldn’t be able to do without you.::___

__Keeping her optics closed, she started to filter and close the bond, "But I tried to offline you. They need you more than you need me in your life."_ _

__“I am fine,” Optimus said. “And I need you. What would I do without you, Dragonfly? You once said you could see my pain and the burden. Your leaving me would only mean all of that coming back. Close me off but I am staying here and if I have to go. I am sure Ratchet, Wheeljack or someone else will take my place to talk to you and watch over you.”_ _

__"You wouldn't have a weak sparkmate who has twice been captured and used against you. One who has even tried to hurt you," Dragonfly said quietly._ _

__“I would not call you weak,” Optimus said. “You have only gotten stronger after the first time you were captured. And I am proud of you for it. And if you want to talk about weak, I was the foolish one that let you attack me when I could have at least defended myself against you.”_ _

__Dragonfly growled deep in her throat, irritated with herself, "I tried to kiss Starscream..."_ _

__“That was the dark energon,” Optimus said. “Not you.”_ _

__Dragonfly blinked her optics open, hearing that, "Just a taste? My processor is trying to murder me."_ _

__Optimus smiled and shook his helm. “No,” he said. “So go ahead and yell at me.”_ _

__Dragonfly growled, this time it was intended for him. "Why? I can't think straight. It hurts." She tried to flex an arm against the bonds holding her in place._ _

__“You seem to be thinking quite well,” he said. He moved a hand up to her neck brushing at the wires, cables and sensor nodes there. Thinking to try something else to help her._ _

__Dragonfly reopened the bond suddenly, pushing her processor pain onto him. "Do you feel this? It's only a fraction of what I'm feeling right now."_ _

__Optimus closed his optics moving his still sore neck. “Yes,” he said gritting his denta. He removed the hand, having a hard time concentrating. He went back to the chair and sat down.”I noticed you found your old sketchbook.”_ _

__Ratchet scanned the room and opened the door. “I see you’re awake, Dragonfly,” he said. “How are you doing?”_ _

__Dragonfly snapped the bond shut again, not wanting to hurt Optimus any more than neceessary. She noticed that asking Optimus for the dark energon wasn't working well, and she turned her helm to view Ratchet. "Slag Ratch, I need some of that dark energon," she looked at him trying to plead with him for it. "Not even a full cube, something to take the edge off."_ _

__Ratchet thought about it. “Hmm I could but we don’t really store dark energon,” he said. “So no, sorry. Is your neck bothering you still, Optimus?”_ _

__“Just a little sore, old friend,” Optimus said. “I will be fine.”_ _

__Dragonfly flexed the arm that she had tried earlier pushing it against the restraints. She continued flexing, pushing aside the pain in the arm, it was better than that in her processor. Eventually she heard the armor on her arm creaking from the pressure she was applying._ _

__Ratchet and Optimus looked at each other then they looked at Dragonfly. “Keep that up and I will turn you offline,” Ratchet said. “To repair you. I have other patients and you need to rest, Optimus. Let someone else watch her for awhile.” ::Let me know if she does that again, Orion.::_ _

__"If nothing else it takes away the processor pain," Dragonfly said as she dropped the arm back to the berth. ::Ratchet?:: her voice was just sad and pained now, ::How long?::_ _

__::It’s hard to say,::Ratchet said. ::You had a double dose when we rescued you.:: “Yes, well it’s that sort of thing that makes it damaging,” he said and left, closing the door behind him._ _

__::Are you going to offline me like Starscream did to the test Vehicons on the synthetic dark energon?:: she said scared._ _

__::No,:: Ratchet said. ::I am working on something, it’s almost finished. It will take care of the pain in your processor.::_ _

___::Orion...::_ Dragonfly said through the bond._ _

___::Yes, Dragonfly,::_ Optimus said looking up at her from the chair._ _

___::If you need to lie down, go lie down.::_ she told him. _::Starscream was working on a synthetic dark energon compound, he had to offline the test Vehicons that received it.::_ She lay there with her optics closed remembering the time he took her back to Cybertron in his memories, _::Wasn’t it this stuff that had tainted the core of your planet, that ultimately caused you to have to leave?::__ _

___::In awhile,::_ Optimus said. _::Ironhide has offered to sit with you next. Yes, it was, something about the planet made it spread quite quickly. And I am not about to offline you. Ratchet is working on something::__ _

__As it was the only way she could come close to reaching him, Dragonfly sent an image of holding Optimus’ hand in hers. And then feeling sorry for the damage she caused to him, her massaging his back._ _

__Optimus got up, and took one of her hands, holding it. Then he sent her the image of him massaging her doorwings_ _

__Dragonfly grinned up at him, and squeezed his hand gently. _::I can tell you one thing, I may not have known that I was supposed to have been bonded to you at the time, but I did not recharge well without my teddy. You would not believe how uncomfortable their berths are.::__ _

___::Hmm just one of those lucky coincidences,::_ Optimus said. _::I too had a hard time recharging without you.::__ _

__Dragonfly slipped into a deep recharge as her system was still trying to get rid of the effects of the dark energon and trying to fight the processor-ache had worn her systems down._ _


	7. Chapter 7

Ironhide sauntered into the isolation room. “Hello Dragonfly,” he said gruffly.

Dragonfly opened her optics. She had not been in recharge, but just trying to rest as quietly as she could. "Hello Ironhide."

Ironhide studied her. “Am I disturbing you?” he asked as he looked around, thinking. There was something he wanted to say but he didn’t want to keep her from recharging.

"No. You aren't disturbing me. I have had a lot of time to recharge and right now, there is not a lot to do," she said moving her wrists to indicate the fact that she was still bound to the berth.

“Orion won’t tell you,” he said. “So I thought I would. He was pretty upset when you had been captured by the ‘Cons again.”

“I’m sorry. I got double-teamed by a pair of Vehicons with a dark energon crystal,” Dragonfly explained. “I did not intend to get captured.”

“I know you didn’t mean to get captured,” Ironhide said. “But like the last time he blames himself. He wouldn’t talk to us. I took him out to the practice range and....” He sent her the video file of Optimus beating up the drone, and tearing it up into pieces.

“It’s not his fault, Ironhide,” Dragonfly accepted the video file and replayed it. “Under other circumstances, I would say that is an exceptional display of his strength and skill. But I understand why you’re showing this to me.”

Hide raised an optic ridge. “Do you?” he said, then waved a hand. “He was that upset. You don’t have to tell me it’s not his fault. I tried but maybe he needs to hear it from you.”

"He can go blame Megatron and Starscream who orchestrated the whole thing," Dragonfly said, closing her optics for a klik before reopening them. "I am sorry, my friend, for my actions at the manufacturing plant. Both towards yourself and Orion."

“You don’t have to apologize,” Hide said. “I know you weren’t responsible for what happened.”

"But I was responsible! I was the one who jumped him and took him out. I used my knowledge of his sensitive spots that I had garnered through my bond with him to inflict damage on him,” Dragonfly shuttered her optics tightly now, “I could have offlined him there if it wasn’t for you. How badly injured was he from my actions? Is he still recovering?"

“It’s not your fault because Bucket head and Screamer altered your memory and had you pumped up with dark energon,” Ironhide said a bit loudly, then he vented a sigh. “Some help I was, you did nearly offline him. Yeah I think he’s still recovering, I see him rubbing his neck every once in awhile.” 

::You know, Ironhide,:: Dragonfly said, switching to the private comms, ::Maybe I should just fight alongside Orion. At least then he knows where I am,:: she chuckled, but she was being serious. ::If Megatron is stupid or brave enough to try capturing me again, at least he’d be right there to see it and stop him.::

Ironhide looked at her, thinking. ::Hmm on one hand it might be a good idea,:: he said.

::I know, I know, Ironhide.:: Dragonfly interjected, ::He'd be worried sick that Megatron would go for me instead of him, and it could be too much of a distraction for him.::

::And you’d be going crazy being pent up in here,:: Ironhide bristled. ::I am proud to say you are one of my best students. You can defend yourself and Orion at least against the smaller opponents and attacks. So don’t go saying you’re totally helpless.::

::Thank you for the compliment, Ironhide,:: Dragonfly said, she opened her bond up partially, setting up filters to keep the pain from her processor out of it. "Where is he now, Ironhide?"

“You’re welcome,” Ironhide said. “I think he’s recharging in the medbay somewhere. Ratchet was ready to keep you separated for a while. He was a bit angry that he just left himself open to that attack from you.”

“He …. was trying to get through to me. Though I guess you’d know that, being right there beside him.”

“Yeah,” Ironhide shrugged. “I sort of knew that but he didn’t have to be so totally defenseless against you,” he said shaking his helm.

“I don’t exactly blame him there,” Dragonfly said, “What if it was your Chromia in my place?”

Ironhide cringed. “I suppose I would have done the same,” he admitted. “But she can sure pack a punch.”

“Then stop blaming him for leaving himself open to attack,” Dragonfly said, “Go take it out on Megatron already.”

“Ah’d leave that up to Orion,” Ironhide said. “Buckethead’s a bit out of my range.”

“Ironhide?” Dragonfly asked, thinking.

“Yes?” He said.

"How the slag did the three of them get on the Nemesis?" she asked. 

Ironhide swallowed. “Uh, crazy rescue plan,” Ironhide said. “We tricked them into opening a space bridge...”

“How?” Dragonfly asked again.

“Optimus sort of let some vehicons capture him,” Ironhide said, glad she was restrained at the moment.

Dragonfly tugged at her restraints, trying to roll towards Ironhide, "What?!" she yelled.

“Jazz, Ratchet and I were there close by to get on the Nemesis when they opened the ground bridge,” Ironhide tried to reassure her. 

"Why were you letting Vehicons capture him in the first place?"

“He was desperate to rescue you, and we wanted to make sure they didn’t get their hands on your device,” Ironhide said. 

::How. Desperate.:: Dragonfly asked, slowly spacing out each of the words, clenching her fists against the bonds. ::Show me. Tell me.::

::Well, he was feeling pretty bad after the message to Megatron and then what had happened. He had about two cubes of high grade, and he came up with the plan along with Jazz pretending to be desolate without you,:: Ironhide said and then sent her a video of Optimus stumbling away from them towards the vehicons in the mine.

"And you thought it would be a good idea to send him on a rescue mission - drunk?" Dragonfly yelled at Ironhide, using human terms again.

“Well he wasn’t totally energized,” Ironhide said moving a few steps back. “We made him stop at two so he’d be able to think. The rest was ‘bad acting’ as Jazz put it. And if you had used your bond you might have sensed it.”

::Ratchet, let me out of these bonds to beat up Ironhide!:: Dragonfly yelled over a private comm, ::How the slag could you let Orion go out after two cubes of high grade?::

Ratchet cringed as he walked around checking on patients. He considered waking Optimus out of his recharge and letting him take some of the brunt of her anger. ‘Let him recharge,’ he thought and went to the isolation room, finger to his lips as he came in. ::Do not shout, I do have other patients recharging,:: he told her. ::And I was told it was only one he had drunk.::

"You soundproofed the slagging room, Ratch," Dragonfly growled. 

“Yes,” He said. “But there is a door to go through where your shouting could wake them,” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Two cubes, Ironhide?”

“Yeah two cubes,” Ironhide said wondering if he should leave now. Dragonfly may have been restrained but Ratchet wasn’t.

“Of whose brew?” Dragonfly asked, knowing that there was different grades even of high-grade. The Twins’ was usually the best for knocking a mech out of their processors, while Optimus’ own high-grade was milder.

“Optimus’, I think,” Ironhide said trying to remember where they had gotten it. “Yeah his. Jazz got it.”

Dragonfly looked at Ratchet to see how the medic was reacting to this news. “Did you know that he had consumed high-grade before rescuing me?”

“Yes,” Ratchet said. “I was aware of that. But I thought it was one cube. I had gone to get the stasis cuffs and check on the medbay, while I left Ironhide to console Optimus and Jazz to plan the rescue and destruction of your device.”

::And how desperate was he in actuality to rescue me and how much of it was high-grade and bad acting?:: Dragonfly asked Ratchet privately. Although she knew and appreciated that Optimus wanted to rescue her, she hadn't want him putting himself at increased risk being distracted and drunk doing it.

Ratchet leaned against a wall thinking and going back over what he remembered of the start of the rescue. ::I know he was desperate. But I’d have to say that was more high-grade than bad acting.::

"Undo my bonds, Ratchet," Dragonfly said, in as neutral a tone as she could manage.

Ratchet looked at Ironhide, who looked at him and then Dragonfly. “How much of this is anger and how much is dark energon?” Ratchet asked.

Ironhide was making for the door to the medbay. “I could wake Optimus,” he said, but it was only an excuse to escape both Dragonfly and Ratchet.

“You tell me, Ratchet. You have the scanners,” Dragonfly said to the medic. “I still have a processor ache, but it’s not as bad as before. And Ironhide, let Orion recharge.”

“She is right, Ironhide,” Ratchet said. “Let him recharge. I suppose I can let her go, now.” He went over to undo the restraints.

“But but Ratchet,” Ironhide argued. “You don’t want any more patients, the medbay is full as it is. Besides, I 'spect she’s mad at you as well.”

"Thank you, Ratchet. I was beginning to fear that you might need to use your scalpels to remove me from the berth," Dragonfly smiled up at the medic.

“You are welcome, besides you need to exercise your hydraulics after all that time,” Ratchet said ignoring Ironhide.

Dragonfly pushed herself up to sitting on the berth, once Ratchet had unfastened the restraints. She looked over at the energon line still attached to herself. "Think I'm allowed to drink it now, instead of this?"

“Yes, I think it’s safe enough,” Ratchet said and removed the line, handing her the rest of the cube to finish off.

Dragonfly set the cube down on the berth beside her and hugged Ratchet. "I think I shall start easy on exercising my hydraulics. Thank you for all of your work, friend."

Ratchet smiled and laughed. “You’re quite welcome,” He said, happy to see her recovered and moved out of the way.

Ironhide quickly exited out the door.

"I shall leave Ironhide in a fate worse than beating him up, looking over his shoulder and wondering when it will occur," Dragonfly chuckled.

Ratchet chuckled as well. “Good for you,” he said. “He is quite right. I don’t want or need any more patients at the moment.”

Dragonfly walked to the door to the isolation room, looking back at Ratchet for permission.

“Go ahead,” Ratchet said watching her.

Dragonfly walked out into the main area of the medbay, scanning the berths for Optimus. Once she spotted him, she walked over to his berth. Optimus was in deep recharge, sleeping peacefully in the berth. Dragonfly looked over his frame as he lay there in recharge, she pulled a chair up to the berth and sat down.

Ratchet came out of the isolation room after doing a little clean up, he looked over and smiled. Then went to his office to check the reports on his other patients.

Dragonfly used her partially opened bond to push through into Optimus' systems to check and see how his repairs were progressing. Then she took his hand in hers, holding it and giving it a quick kiss.

Optimus sensing Dragonfly checking his systems then the kiss on his hand, slowly came out of recharge. “You’re out of isolation?” he asked, optics still shut, his voice husky.

“Yes. I’m sorry I woke you, love,” Dragonfly said quietly.

He blinked his optics open and smiled looking up at her, running a check on her systems through their bond. The smile turned to a grin as he pushed himself up to sitting. “Why no full bond?” he asked, frowning suddenly.

"Still some processor ache remaining. I don't want to give it you," Dragonfly said.

“I can withstand it, if it will help you,” Optimus said.

Dragonfly stood up from the chair and put her arms gently around Optimus, kissing him.

Optimus slipped his arms around her in a hug, as he returned the kiss. ::I’ve missed you,:: he said.

Dragonfly broke the kiss and then very lightly tapped him on the helm with her hand, frowning at him. ::Was your processor glitched drinking high-grade and then letting yourself get captured by Vehicons?::

::I let them think they had captured me,:: he said. ::I wasn’t too glitched...how did you know about the high-grade?::

::Ironhide,:: Dragonfly replied simply.

Optimus vented a sigh. ::I should have figured he would have told you that,:: he said bowing his helm and closing his optics, feeling a little bit ashamed.

Dragonfly cupped her hands around his faceplates, lifting his helm so that she could kiss him again. ::Thank you.::

Optimus pulled her closer to him, returning the kiss and sending her his love down the bond.. ::You are welcome,:: he said. ::You know I would never willingly hurt you.::

::Can we go back to our quarters or are you... :: she didn’t want to think that he was sick or injured, but that’s usually why one was resting on a berth in the medbay.

::Yes we can,:: Optimus said, smiling.. ::I was only here to be close by, for my Dragonfly.:: 

So as not to disturb other patients, ::Ratchet, am I free to go or do you still want to keep me in the medbay?:: Dragonfly asked privately.

Ratchet looked over to where she and Optimus were, thinking. ::No, you are free to go but be careful of his neck, it is still sore,:: the medic said.

::All right, Ratchet. I understand,:: Dragonfly said. 

::Are we ready to go?:: Optimus asked detecting the two were talking.

::Yes. I just need to be careful of your neck. So if you are ready, then I am.:: Dragonfly answered him, lacing her fingers into Optimus' fingers, indicating her willingness to go.

Optimus snorted and squeezed her hand standing up to leave the medbay. ::My neck is fine,:: he said, frowning, a little tired of how careful Ratchet and Ironhide were being around him and his neck. He was anxious to be out of the medbay, feeling like a patient himself. He started walking towards the doorway out of the medbay, Dragonfly walking with him.

They made a fast pace to their quarters, walking and holding hands. Back in their quarters Optimus leaned down to kiss her, taking her helm in his hands, holding back the bit of pain in his neck.

Dragonfly gently led him to their berth and sat down, assuming that he would follow suit. Optimus followed her and sat down next to her. She put a hand on his chest, and looked him in the optics, silent for a klik as she thought.

Optimus blinked looking back at her. “What are you thinking?” he asked as he put a hand on hers.

::It wasn't your fault, Orion,:: Dragonfly said as she leaned in to kiss him.

::As I have been told that so many times,:: Optimus said, sighing and returning the kiss. He wrapped his arm around her pulling her closer.

::How many times will I have to tell you that before you accept it for yourself?:: she asked him, as she reviewed the video clip that Ironhide had sent her of how Optimus had beat up the drone.

::Why are you so distracted?:: he asked, rather than answering her question. Dragonfly shared with him what she was watching. Optimus cringed, releasing her from the hug and breaking the kiss. He blinked thinking, reviewing the video, himself. ::I do not quite remember being that... that angry?::

::Ironhide, again, shared it with me,:: she said.

::Are you sure that is not a falsified memory?:: He asked, not liking the fact that he wouldn’t remember that. He vented a sigh, thinking.

::Unfortunately, I wasn’t here to be able to confirm or deny that. You’ll have to ask Ironhide, himself,:: Dragonfly said.

::No, he wouldn’t falsify something like that without a very good reason to do so,:: Optimus said. ::I’m amazed he was around then. Usually it’s Ratchet.::

::I did have an idea for future possible battles,:: Dragonfly started, as she looked into his optics, ::I could battle alongside you. You can keep a closer optic on me, and I can help deflect minor attacks and other smaller Vehicons who would take you off guard.:: She knew that Optimus might not like this idea as he often took on Megatron, being the only Autobot capable of taking him on.

::It is an interesting idea,:: Optimus said, thinking about it. It would allow him to keep a closer watch on her, while still filtering his end of their bond. ::We will have to try it once at least.::

::It. Is. Not. Your. Fault,:: Dragonfly kissed Optimus on the chest and up his neck for each word, ::That I was captured. Blame Megatron and the two Vehicons for that.::

Optimus shivered as she kissed him happily smiling, the smile getting bigger with each kiss. until she reached his neck and he cringed, fighting back the pain. Optimus considered her words ::I will take your word for it and next time I see him or any vehicons, take it out on them,:: he said.

Dragonfly stood up from the berth and stood facing him. "I am so sorry for attacking you at the manufacturing plant." She closed her optics, cringing over her own memory of how she attacked him, wishing that it was all just a bad flux. "I know that it wasn't me and that they implanted false memories of you abusing me, but I abused my knowledge of your weak spots and I could have knocked you offline." She turned away, walking in the direction of the wash racks, stopping before the entrance. 

“Forgiven and forgotten,” Optimus said, deciding it might be best left behind them. He got up following her.

Dragonfly walked into the wash racks and stepped into the sensor zone. She felt the water hit her armor and stood there dejectedly. She opened her doorwings fully under the flow of the water, maybe it could wash away all or some of the emotional pain she felt right now.

Optimus watched her frowning for a nanoklik then grabbed the soap and a washcloth, soaping the cloth up he walked over to her. ::Where shall I begin?:: He asked. ::Though I am more tempted to just kiss away your pain:: He sent love and forgiveness down to her through their bond.

Dragonfly turned around so that she was facing him and she rested her helm on his frame so that she was looking down at the floor. Optimus reached down with his free hand to grasp her chin. ::Dragonfly, look at me, please. If your capture was not my fault, what happened at the plant is not yours.::

As she looked up into his face, her optics were wet, not with water but her own optic lubricant. ::Everything else too. I sat in his lap taunting you in the video comm. I kissed Scream, ugh, possibly would have done other things. Drew up plans again for their next attempt at world domination.::

::You are here now. The kiss was the dark energon. The plans,:: He said reaching into his subspace pocket and pulled out, remembering he had them there. ::Here, do with them what you will.::

::I think you've taken care of them already,:: Dragonfly said watching the papers get wet in the spray of the wash racks. 

::So forgotten?:: Optimus asked. ::If you want you can sit in my lap, kiss me, and more.::

Dragonfly took the wash rag and soap from Optimus' hands and began to wash him off. 

::Shall I sit down and make it easier to reach certain spots?:: he asked.

::No,:: she said, kissing each section of his frame and armor before washing it with the soapy cloth. As she worked her way down to his legs, she dropped herself to her knees to continue. ::I am back at your side, where I belong.::

Optimus watched her. ::Back where you want to be?:: he asked.

Dragonfly fully reopened her bond to Optimus, she had it filtered up until this point to save him the pain that was still on her processor. ::Absolutely. Although I don’t mind being even closer than this,:: she smiled back at him.

Optimus smiled down at her. ::I am happy to hear that,:: he said. ::And accommodate any wish related to the being closer part.::

Dragonfly moved around behind him, kissing the backs of his knees as she washed them. Then standing up, she kissed his back as she continued to wash him off. ::Primus, I do love you, Orion.::

::And I love you too, Dragonfly,:: Optimus said laughing at the small sensations simply caused by her kiss.

::What are you laughing about, Orion?:: Dragonfly asked.

::Oh just the kisses on the back of my knees,:: he said, smiling. He let her feel the sensation through their bond.

Dragonfly wrapped her arms around his waist, clasping them together in front of him. Optimus smiled, enjoying the hug. She released her hands and the hug, allowing him to turn around and wash her, if he wished.

Optimus took the washcloth and started cleaning her. Kissing her before cleaning the areas, much like she did for him.

Dragonfly gently cupped her hands again around his face, kissing him again. ::I look forward to recharging with you again. I've missed it so much.::

::Yes, me too,:: Optimus said. ::As comfortable as the berths are here I had a hard time getting to recharge.::


	8. Chapter 8

Dragonfly fell into recharge beside Optimus, snuggled up to him like she was used to. A few hours passed into her recharge and when she cycled into a lighter cycle. She found herself dreaming that she was back in the battle at the refinery where she was captured.

_The scene was very nearly the same as it was when it happened. This time, however, Dragonfly was fighting alongside Optimus as she had proposed in a suggestion earlier. Optimus, of course, was fighting against Megatron as he always did when the Decepticon leader was in a battle._

_Dragonfly was focusing her attacks on the Vehicons nearby, taking them on and dispatching them. Megatron noticed that Dragonfly was sticking close by to Optimus._

_“Need a femme to protect you Prime,” Megatron sneered. “Are you really that weak?”_

_Optimus ignored the taunt, not replying._

_Dragonfly darted forward, seeing a Vehicon coming around in front of and beside Megatron and she snuck forwards to go charge at it. She managed to disable it, knocking it offline temporarily._

_Optimus turned to watch her grinned, proudly. And Megatron took advantage of his distraction._

_Dragonfly was able to detect Megatron bringing one of his swords down to bear on her. She brought her arms with her blades up to protect herself, taking the majority of the impact on the armor of her forearms. ::Orion!:: Dragonfly called up to her mate, ::Take him on while he's focusing this one attack on me.:: She knew that she could hold him off for a short while, but not for long._

_The scene changed, whether it was the same battle or a different battle, she couldn't tell. What Dragonfly was able to tell was that somehow whilst fighting alongside Optimus again, Megatron had managed to pick her up. She was only about half the size of Megatron, so it wasn't exactly a challenge for the Decepticon leader._

_In a scene reminiscent of what Optimus and Bumblebee had both told her on separate occasions of the Cybertronian battle at Tyger Pax, Megatron was threatening to rip out Dragonfly's vocalizer. Dragonfly had caught sight of Bumblebee on the other side of the battle. He had also seen her and Dragonfly could see the recognition and fear in Bumblebee's optics, almost like he was living through the same battle all over again._

_"Just rip out my vocalizer and be done with it then, Megatron," she told the leader, "Even if I can't speak, I can still fight. And Optimus is still going to win in the end." Dragonfly could feel Optimus' presence nearby, but so could Megatron, who followed through on his threat, throwing Dragonfly to the ground nearby._

_Dragonfly reopened her optics as she lay on the ground, trying to push herself back up. She saw her bondmate above her, checking to make sure she was okay. ::Go after him,:: Dragonfly told him using their bond, ::Battle is almost done here...:: She looked up at him as he took off after Megatron._

Optimus came online hearing her speaking through their bond. He looked at her, splayed on the large berth and caught an arm with a hand around her wrist. _::Dragonfly, there is no battle,::_ he said. _::You’re in flux, wake up, Lacewing.::_

Still asleep on the berth, Dragonfly tried to push Optimus away from her, _::Go after him,::_ she told Optimus, _::Why are you still here? He's getting away.::_

Optimus thought wondering what to do. She wasn’t waking to his comms. He could try again, let her continue, though it might mean moving from the berth to watch her or he could try sending her calm down their bond hoping to send her back to a peaceful sleep or just hold her. 

Without knowing what the dream or battle was about he couldn’t let her continue. He didn’t want her to hurt herself with her flailing about. He closed his eyes, sending calmness to her down through their bond. He sent the image to her of them in their quarters painted as the meadow, optics open looking around the room for the memories. He was laying back in the spot that he had worn the grass away. She was sitting nearby, sketching in her book. 

Dragonfly felt the scene change and woke up slightly, she stopped flailing about, opening a single optic to look at him.

“You were in flux,” he said releasing her wrist but not before he kissed the palm of her hand. “Care to tell me what it was about?”

Dragonfly reached a hand up to her neck, _::Only if you hold me tightly,::_ she used her bond to communicate.

Optimus tilted his helm as he lay on his side and thought about it, watching as she touched her neck. _::Very well,::_ he said, slipping one arm underneath her and the other over, pulling her closer to him, tightly. _::Now what was it about, Dragonfly?::_

Dragonfly nestled her helm into Optimus' neck and chest as she explained and showed him the dreams that she had just been in. Optimus listened patiently, not interrupting her except to kiss or hug her. _::Do we still want to fight side by side in battle?::_ he asked at last.

 _::I’m not making that decision based on flux, Orion,::_ Dragonfly said.

 _::Neither am I,::_ he said. _::We will try it out once or twice to see how it works out.::_

 _::Can I fall asleep again like this?::_ she asked.

“Yes, you can,” he said kissing her helm.


End file.
